“Older people need to accept that we now live in a world where people want to take out their phones to take photos or video when they see something they like,” says violinist Esther Abrami. At a time when orchestras in Britain are struggling to survive, the 26-year-old virtuoso has used social media to attract… Read More »
This foot, which touches the ground twice during the opening credits of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, is probably the most famous foot in modern screen history. It has now been revealed that his inspiration was a 16th-century painting in the National Gallery. “In the late sixties I would come to the gallery to steal ideas,… Read More »
No phones were kept open during this time. Igor Levit – Russian-born, German-born pianist – and two other senior soloists, French violinist Renaud Capuçon and Austrian cellist Julia Hagen, played Brahms’ entire piano trio last weekend. Despite Wigmore Hall’s restrictions on the use of electronic devices, all seats were sold. The audience of all ages… Read More »
Climbing Mount Everest, known as Sagarmatha to Nepal’s Sherpa people, was once an activity reserved for the world’s best climbers. In the decade following the first ascent in 1953, only 13 people reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain. Times change. More than 600 climbers have summited Everest during the 2023 climbing season; many… Read More »
It’s very rare that you get the chance to celebrate the 200th birthday of a valuable institution. But today, champagne corks will pop in the heart of London as the National Gallery, one of Britain’s greatest cultural jewels, enters that venerable era. Tonight, from 21.00, the Big Weekend celebrations will be held, starting with a… Read More »
I was fascinated by France from the moment I first visited it as a child. According to my mother, I talked about this until we got home and she said, “They speak French there!” I was fascinated by such facts. I was determined to learn more about this strange and exotic place. I continued to… Read More »
The pandemic has opened the eyes of many to the benefits of running or cycling to work – or “active commuting” – and some have continued the habit. Passengers, who are no longer satisfied with long journeys or boring train journeys, are looking for ways to make their journeys more efficient and enjoyable. Six people… Read More »
It is said that the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu was the one who said the wise words “A journey of thousands of kilometers begins with a single step.” But in the case of British Airways, this week saw the start of a seven billion pound journey on a single plane. From the outside, G-TNED… Read More »
In the summer of 2010, Anuvab Pal was writing an article about the opening of the Comedy Store in Mumbai, impresario Don Ward’s attempt to introduce British-style stand-up to India. Pal, who was working mainly as a screenwriter at the time, went to interview Ward, the famous London venue that was the cradle of alternative… Read More »
Far from being a country box office, I have a mundane, meandering ambition to one day visit all 54 African countries. Almost two-thirds of the way through, there were a few gaps left on my map. One is much larger than the others. The most populous country in Africa; a cultural powerhouse with a rich,… Read More »